Two-week Update: Harvesting blues and lots of planting!

I missed posting last week for no good reason except life. The kids are out of school, so we have been enjoying walks to our local marina, ice cream, picking wild berries, and library visits. 

The past two weeks we've harvested:

13 heads of Chinese cabbage

Two heads of red cabbage

A handful of cilantro

One head of cauliflower

One head of broccoli

So far in 2016, we've harvested: 

Two dozen radishes
8 pounds of spinach
Two heads of broccoli
A handful of chives
Two bundles of lemon balm
25 heads of  Chinese cabbage
2 cups of cilantro

Two heads of red cabbage

One head of cauliflower

Garden

A lot of goodies have been ready to harvest from the garden. Our first raised bed was almost entirely empty after I harvested all of the cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. It made me sad. You would think that I would be reveling in the joy of all the awesome that I had plucked from the ground, but that was short-lived. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I am very grateful for the food that we now have and were able to share with our neighbors. I think it was the time, energy, and love that I put into growing the food and then it was just gone from the garden. Who knew I would experience these feelings?

I quickly filled the void by planting more seeds and purchasing some transplants. I bought thyme, purple sage, dill, rosemary, brussels sprouts, sweet peppers, hot peppers, and bell peppers; I also dropped some seeds into the soil – broccoli, spinach, butter lettuce, swiss chard, carrots, and bush beans!

Seeing the seedlings break through the soil has been uplifting. We have beet and pumpkin seedlings that are growing. The first big harvest for us has ended, and while I had unexpected feelings, I also had some clarity. Gardening is just like everything else in life; it runs in cycles. Harvesting is just the end of the cycle but brings space for a new cycle to begin.  

I love this adventure. It’s pushed me to work on my patience. You can’t force any of your crops to grow as quick as you’d like. You have to water, feed, and care for plants while they grow to their fullest potential. For example, I measured our apple trees two weeks ago, and they have grown between one and one and a half inches. Like I said, you must have patience. 

Upcoming Homesteading Chores

• Clean up and secure the rain barrel
• Finish weeding the second garden area
• Plant the box of dahlia bulbs we scored for free
• Work on the fairy garden

Until next time. xo